Crystalline Material Container

ABSTRACT

A crystalline material container with a bracket that has a first open position and a second closed position that enables the crystalline material container to be open when the bracket is in the first position and closed when the bracket is in the second position, where the crystalline material container can hold salt, sugar, spices or other crystalline or ground materials.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority and incorporates by reference theprovisional patent application, Ser. No. 60/967,218, filed on Aug. 31,2007, titled “CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL CONTAINER” by Dennis Hawkins Hanson.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently crystalline materials such as salt, sugar, and spices (whichmay be ground material) are made packaged in single use containers madeout of paper or reusable metal, plastic, or glass shakers. The singleuse containers are wasteful of resource and costly to manufacture whencompared to a reusable container. Shakers are convenient for use at atable, but are not easily transportable because they typically do nothave covers. Neither shakers nor single use packaging are designed to becarried in a pocket or easily attached to or placed in a servingcontainer, such as a plate, bowl, or tub.

Therefore, there is a need for an approach to construct a reusablecrystalline material container that can be easily carried or attached toa plate, bowl, or tub.

SUMMARY

An elongated tubular shaped container that is able to store crystallinematerials, such as salt, sugar, or spices that has a closure device thatenables the elongated tubular shaped container to be closed and openedby movement of a bracket.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will beor will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination ofthe following figures and detailed description. It is intended that allsuch additional systems, methods, features and advantages be includedwithin this description, be within the scope of the invention, and beprotected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasisinstead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an example implementation of a crystallinematerial container.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a closure device located on the crystallinematerial container of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a top view of a bracket located on the crystalline materialcontainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a tubular cylinder used to contain crystalline materials suchas salt, sugar, and or spices with a cylinder shaped cap with moldedwire to serve as a closer bracket when inserted into hollow cylinderstyle tube.

FIG. 5 is a tubular cylinder used to contain crystalline materials suchas salt, sugar, and spices with perforations or other openings to allowfor shaker or pouring type dispensing of contents sealed with aremovable safety tape.

FIG. 6 is a 1½″ min. long wire molded into a solid cylinder stopper.When inserted and affixed using glue and then inserted into a hollowcylinder made of paper or plastic that would act as a bracket whenfolded.

FIG. 7 is a flat bracket molded top made of paper or plastic affixed toa thin wire inserted in to the top of a hollow cylinder tube.

FIG. 8 is a tubular cylinder used to contain crystalline materials suchas salt, sugar, and or spices made of paper or plastic with a wirebracket molded in or on the tubular cylinder with the tubular cylinderin closed position.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of elongated hole in or near the top of the tubularcylinder.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of perforated tape that may be placed over the opentop of the tubular cylinder.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of safety tape/seal that is removable that coversthe perforated tape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An approach for a crystalline material container 102 that is reusableand resealable is being described. In FIG. 1, a side view 100 of anexample implementation of a crystalline material container (CMC) 102 isshown. The CMC 102 may be shaped as a cylinder, or have straight edges.The width of the opening of the CMC 102 is less than the length of theCMC 102. One end of the CMC 102 is formed being closed or is closed viamechanical means, including glue, melting, clips, sewing. Locatedapproximately one inch below the open end of the CMC 102 is a bracket104 for closing the CMC 102.

The bracket 104 may be made out of metal, plastic, or similar stiffmaterials that can hold the top of the CMC 102 bent 180 degrees to closethe open end of the CMC 102. The bracket 104 on a securing end may besecured to the CMC 102 with glue, tape 106, or other binding material.The bracket 104 has a first open position with the CMC 102 open end inan open position and a second secured position where the bracket 104causes the CMC 102 to be bent 180 degrees and secured in a closedposition. The securing of the bracket 104 may be accomplished by theelasticity of the bracket 104 having enough force to hold the open endof the CMC closed or a latch may be placed on the bracket 104 to keep itin the second position.

In FIG. 2, a side view 200 of the bracket 104 located on the crystallinematerial container 102 of FIG. 1 is shown. The bracket 104 may begenerally “d” in shape with the open ends of the “d” secured to the CMC102. In the body of the bracket 104, coils may be used to add extratension to the “d” in order for it to keep the CMC 102 open end closed.FIG. 3 is a top view 300 of the bracket 104 of FIG. 1.

Turning to FIG. 4, a tubular cylinder 402 used to contain crystallinematerials such as salt, sugar, and or spices having a cylinder shapedcap or stopper 404 with a molded wire flexible bracket 406 to serve as acloser bracket when inserted into hollow cylinder style tube, such astubular cylinder 402. The tubular cylinder 402 may be other elongatedhollow shapes that can be sealed at one end and accept a cap at theother end (or be resealable). A molded solid cylinder stopper 404 withflexible bracket 406 may be placed in one end of the tubular cylinder402 with the other end of the tubular cylinder be closed or sealed. Themolded solid cylinder stopper 404 may be made from plastic, glass,metal, ceramics, paper, cardboard, wax, or a combination of any ofplastic, glass, metal, ceramics, paper, cardboard, wax. The flexiblebracket 406 may be made of metal, plastic, or other materials that andmaintain the cylinder stopper in a first position (closed) and allow itto be moved to a second position (open). The other end of the cylinderstopper may be molded as a solid piece, secured multiple pieces, orsealed with glue, tape, heat bonding, and/or stitching to give but a fewexamples.

In FIG. 5 a tubular cylinder 402 used to contain crystalline materialssuch as salt, sugar, and spices with a molded stopper 404 having aflexible bracket 502 that contains more than one perforation 506 orother openings to allow for shaker or pouring type dispensing ofcontents. The molded stopper 404 may be sealed with a removable safetytape. The tubular cylinder 402 may have perforations or similar pouringopenings. The pouring openings are formed or cut into the tubularcylinder 402 above where the bend would occur if the flexible bracket502 is in the closed position. In other implementations, the top cap orstopper 404 may be formed such that the cap is elongated into thetubular cylinder and contains pouring holes that match up with thepouring holes in the tubular cylinder 402 when the cap is pulled up. Inother implementations, the holes may line up upon pushing down on thecap or stopper 404 where a spring type device maintains the cap in theclosed position. The top cap or stopper 404 may have holes that line upwith the holes in the tubular cylinder when the cap is rotated in yetanother implementation.

Turning to FIG. 6, a 1½″ min. long flexible bracket 406, such as a wiremolded into a solid or semisolid cylinder stopper 404 is shown. Wheninserted and affixed using glue, shrink wrap, heat bonding, or frictionand then inserted into a hollow cylinder made of paper or plastic thatwould act as a bracket when folded.

In FIG. 7, a flat bracket 702 molded or formed to make a top made of butnot limited to, paper or plastic may be affixed to a wire 704 is shown.The wire 704 may be 1½″ long which when inserted in to the top of ahollow cylinder tube may be affixed by heat, glue or pressure and thenmay act as a closure bracket. Unlike FIG. 6 which was a solid shapestopper 404 that matched the cylinder, the stopper 702 has a flat shapeand the opening of the cylinder tube is closed and secured to the flatshaped formed top.

Turning to FIG. 8, a tubular cylinder 802 used to contain crystallinematerials such as salt, sugar, and or spices made of paper or plasticwith a wire bracket 804 molded in or on the tubular cylinder with thetubular cylinder 802 in closed position is shown. The other end of thetubular cylinder is sealed and the top end of the tubular cylinder maybe maintained in a closed position or an open position by the flexiblebracket.

In FIG. 9, a diagram of elongated hole in or near the top of the tubularcylinder 902 is shown. The tubular cylinder 902 may have a hole oropening at the top or near the top of the tubular cylinder that issealed with perforated tape. In FIG. 10, a diagram of perforated tape1002 that may be placed over the open top of the tubular cylinder. InFIG. 11, a diagram of safety tape/seal 1102 that is removable thatcovers the perforated tape is shown.

The foregoing description of an implementation has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not exhaustive and doesnot limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed.Modifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedescription or may be acquired from practicing the invention. Forexample, the described implementation includes software but theinvention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and softwareor in hardware alone. Note also that the implementation may vary betweensystems. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of theinvention.

1. A crystalline material container, comprising: an elongated body that has an open end and a closed end; a bracket secured to the elongated body near the open end and the bracket has a first position and a second position, where the second position closes the open end of the elongated body.
 2. The crystalline material container of claim 1, where the bracket is made of wire.
 3. The crystalline material container of claim 2, where the wire forms at least one spring that is bendable and able to maintain force in the second position against the elongated body.
 4. The crystalline material container of claim 1, where the bracket is secured to the elongated body with tape.
 5. The crystalline material container of claim 1, where the bracket is secured to the elongated body with a stopper.
 6. The crystalline material container of claim 5, where the wire is affixed to the stopper.
 7. The crystalline material container of claim 6, where the wire affixed to the stopper rests in the inside of the elongated body.
 8. The crystalline material container of claim 5, where the bracket is formed with more than one hole.
 9. The crystalline material container of claim 8, where at least one hole of the more than one hole aligns with at least one hole in the elongated body.
 10. The crystalline material container of claim 1, where the bracket is secured directly to the elongated body.
 11. The crystalline material container of claim 10, where the bracket resides totally within the elongated body.
 12. The crystalline material container of claim 10, where the bracket is secured in the closed position with security tape. 